Pill and method of adding measured quantities of ingredients to bottled water

ABSTRACT

A package of pills and a pill are disclosed. The package has one or more chambers and there are one or more pills in each of the one or more chambers. Each of the pills has membrane that dissolves instantly in water. Each of the chambers has a covering on a top portion of the package that protects the one or more pills and each of the chambers has a breakable seal on a bottom portion of the package. The seal can be broken by a user or by a bottle and the pill is deposited in a bottle of water. The contents of the pill are powders, crystals or microencapsulate materials.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/757,282, filed Jan. 9, 2006 which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to the fields of pills and of adding measured quantities of ingredients to bottled water.

Previous patents have described a system in which a cap was retrofitted to a bottle of water and flavorings and/or other ingredients were released into the bottled water when the cap was screwed in place. In these embodiments, the cap includes a membrane, and the membrane was parsed when it was screwed on a bottle or shaken.

In some instances, the cost of the cap might represent a deterrent over using powders that, although messy, can be less expensive than including the plastic in every use. However, systems such as the Crystal Light to Go by Kraft used concentrated powders that come in a tube and can be released into bottled water and shaken and have presented consumer issues.

One of these issues is the fact that concentrated powders are readily air dispersed onto the consumer's clothing. Many of these include food colors and by the nature of their concentration can ruin clothes and minimally cause severe staining. This is particularly true since the first reaction of a consumer would be to wipe it off with water or club soda, which would obviously, in the case of a concentrated material, compound the problem.

Another problem of using powders is that they require the opening and pouring of contents into a bottle, an operation which is difficult to accomplish in an al fresco situation.

If a pill, having a measured quantity of the desired ingredients were available, particularly one which was instantly dissolving and physically sized for the readily available bottled water, the art of consumer drinks would be advanced.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The purpose of this instant invention is to provide a pill in which the ingredients inside are a dry crystal, powder or micro encapsulated substance. The nature of the pill is that the outside is made of an instantly dissolvable membrane in water. This pill is preferably specially packaged in a container capable of sealing out humidity and at the same time providing some rigidity, since the membrane of the pill, which is instantly dissolvable in water would not be strong enough to not crush when on the go, thereby providing the same disadvantages of powder.

This application is not related to a prior application that required a cap as the housing. In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the pill of the present invention will be housed in a package to prevent it from either being attacked by humidity or crushed. In this case, the package can simply be a molded (possibly multiple vacuum form) such as those that contain other pills that are used for child protection. One such system would be a product such as Benadryl caplets that have a blister mold and an aluminum foil sealed beneath. In this case, the extra child protection paper would not be needed. Other types of packaging that have a hard shell on most sides and a section which the capsule can be pushed through would be used in combination with this instantly dissolvable pill in order to keep out humidity and protect the pill from rupture.

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a package of pills is provided. The package has one or more chambers. There are one or more pills in each of the one or more chambers. Each of the pills having a membrane that dissolves instantly in water. Each of the chambers has a covering on a top portion of the package that protects the one or more pills and each of the chambers has a breakable seal on a bottom portion of the package.

Each of the one or more pills in each of the chambers contains a powder. In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, each of the one or more pills in each of the chambers is non-compressed.

The membrane of each of the one or more pills in each of the chambers can be soy-based. The membrane can also be made of the same composition as the Listerine Chamber Paks. Additionally, the membrane can be composed of safe water soluble material. The membrane is preferably sized to be instantly dissolvable in water.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, each of the chambers in the present invention is sealed to prevent the entry of moisture into the chamber.

The package can also include a protective seal covering each of the breakable seals.

The package can also have a weakened area in each of the breakable seals to assist the user in breaking the seals.

The covering for each of the chambers is preferably hardened to withstand pressures to protect the pill. In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the cover withstands up to 20 pounds of pressure without collapsing. In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the cover withstands up to 10 pounds of pressure without collapsing. In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, the cover withstands up to 5 pounds of pressure without collapsing.

In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, a pill is provided. The pill includes a membrane instantly dissolvable in water. The membrane surrounds a non-compressed powder. The membrane can be made as previously described.

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the membrane is rolled around powder and the two ends of the membrane are mechanically sealed.

The contents of the pill can be a powder, a dry crystal or a microencapsulated product. The contents can include pharmaceuticals, flavorings and nutrients. Other ingredients can also be provided.

A user removes one or more pills in a package and places the pills in a bottle of water. The pills can be dropped straight into the bottle from the package or can be removed by hand and dropped in the bottle.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a method in accordance with one aspect of the present invention.

FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate a package of pills in accordance with a further aspect of the present invention.

FIG. 4 illustrates a pill in accordance with another aspect of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIGS. 1 to 3 illustrate a package in accordance with one aspect of the present invention. FIG. 1 illustrates a method and apparatus in accordance with one aspect of the present invention. A bottle 10 has a liquid 12 in it. By way of example only, the bottle 10 can be a plastic bottle and the liquid 12 can be water. The bottle 10 has threads 14 around an outer surface.

A top 16 to the bottle 10 is provided. The top 16 has threads 18 that mate with the threads 14 on the bottle 10, thereby securing the top 16 to the bottle 10. In FIG. 1, the top 16 is removed from the bottle 10.

A package 20 having chambers 22 to 27 is provided. Any number of desired chambers can be provided in the package 20. The package 20 can be similar to a blister pack. The package 20 preferably has a foil bottom and each of the chambers 22 to 27 preferably has a clear plastic top. Each of the chambers 22 to 27 contains one or more pills. The plastic top is preferably clear to enable a user to view the contents of the chambers 22 to 27 and the foil 29 underneath each of the chambers 22 to 27 is designed to break when pressure is applied to the foil 29 in the area underneath the respective chamber 22 to 27. The plastic top is preferably hard enough to withstand the pressures associated with distributing these packages. For example, when other packages are placed on top of the package 20, the plastic top is hard enough to protect the pill from being crushed. In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the cover withstands up to 20 pounds of pressure without collapsing. In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the cover withstands up to 10 pounds of pressure without collapsing. In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, the cover withstands up to 5 pounds of pressure without collapsing. Suitable material for the cover include plastics, hard plastics, PVCs and the like.

The method, in accordance with one aspect of the present invention, involves positioning one of the chambers 22 to 27 over an opening in the bottle 10. Pressure is applied to a seal one of the chambers, such as chamber 24. The bottom of chamber 24 breaks and releases pills 28 and 30 into the liquid 12 in the bottle 10.

It is preferred to provide a weaker spot in the seal on the bottom underneath the chambers 22 to 27 that break easily. Thus, for example, lines 32 and 34 in FIG. 3 can be weakened parts of the bottom so that the bottom of chamber 24 breaks easily and in a defined manner. Another seal, a protective seal 31, can also be provided on the bottom of the package 20. This seal further assists in protecting the pills in the chambers from humidity. A user would remove the protective seal 31 first, and then break the seal in the foil 29 underneath the chamber to access a pill.

The pills 28 and 30 preferably have an instantly dissolvable coating to release the ingredients of the pills as fast as possible. In a most preferred embodiment, the pills 28 and 30 have an instantly dissolvable coating.

The same number of pills can be provided in each chamber 22 to 27. Depending on the size of the chambers 22 to 27, one or more pills can be provided in each chamber 22 to 27. Further, a different number of pills can be provided in each chamber 22 to 27. For example, chamber 22 has two pills, chamber 23 has three pills, chamber 24 had two pills, and chamber 25 has one pill. This can allow for different dosages of the contents of the pills to be applied to the liquid 12 in the bottle 10.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the contents of any of the chambers 22 to 27 can be removed by applying pressure to the breakable seal underneath one of the chambers. The pills that are removed from the chamber can be dropped into a user's hand and the user can drop the pill or pills into the liquid 12 or they can be dropped directly into the bottle 10. In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the bottle 10 can be used to break the breakable seal.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, where appropriate, the dosages contained in the pills in each of the chambers 22 to 27 can be marked on the package 20.

The pills can have any number of contents, including powders, crystals and microencapsulated products. The pills can contain pharmaceuticals, flavorings, foods, various powders, drinks and the like. In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a pill is a non-compressed pill having a preselected quantity of one or more of generally recognized as safe (GRAS) ingredients. Any ingredient that does not dissolve the membrane of a pill can be used. For example, ingredients can be selected from the group including a sweetening agent, an acidulant, a flavoring agent, a nutrient, a pharmaceutical, a colorant, electrolyte replacement agents, a mouthfeel agent, a disintegrant agent, a breath freshener and the like.

A pill in accordance with one aspect of the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 4. The pill 50 has a membrane 51 and ingredients 52. The ingredients 52 can be a dry crystal, powder or micro encapsulated substance, or any other substance that does not dissolve the membrane 51. The nature of the pill 50 is that the outside is made of a membrane 51 that instantly dissolves in water. The material that the membrane is constructed from may depend on the fluid in the fluid container. For example, the membrane may be soluble in different liquids. In the case where the fluid is water based, the membrane is formed from soy and/or corn based materials. In general, the membrane can be formed from non-toxic, organic material that is dissolvable in liquid. In accordance with one specific embodiment, the membrane can be formed from a composition similar to or the same as the composition as used in Listerine Chamber Paks. These strips dissolve instantly when placed into a mouth. The ingredients for Listerine Chamber Paks include Pullulan, Flavors, Menthol, Aspartame, Potassium Acesulfame, Copper Gluconate, Polysorbate 80, Carrageenan, Glyceryl Oleate, Eucalyptol, Methyl Salicylate, Thymol, Locust Bean Gum, Propylene Glycol, Xanthan Gum, FD&C Green No 3. It also contains Phenylalanine. The membrane 51 can be made with any of these ingredients or with any combination of these ingredients. The thickness of the membrane 51 will help determine how quickly the membrane 51 dissolves in water in the bottle 10. The membrane 51 should be constructed of a thickness that will result in the membrane 51 instantly dissolving when the pill comes into contact with the water in a bottle. This will then release the contents of the pill into the water. In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, instantly means the membrane 51 dissolves in less than 0.5 seconds. In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, instantly means the membrane 51 dissolves in less than 1 second. In any event, the membrane 51 should dissolve in less than 3 or 5 seconds. This can be controlled by controlling the thickness of the membrane 51. The membrane 51 can also be made with PEG having an appropriate thickness. The PEG should preferably have a safe amount of ethylene and diethylene glycols. The membrane can also be made of polyvinyl alcohol. For example, the films disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,156,047, which is hereby incorporated by reference, if sized appropriately to dissolve instantly in water, can also be used.

This pill is preferably specially packaged in a container capable of sealing out humidity and at the same time providing some rigidity, since the parsable membrane, which is instantly dissolvable in water, would not be strong enough to not crush when on the go, thereby providing the same disadvantages of powder. Such a package was described with respect to FIGS. 1 to 3.

The pill of the invention is preferably sized and shaped to easily fit through the neck opening of commercially available pre-filled water bottles. The pill of the invention is preferably generally cylindrically shaped with a diameter between about 0.3 to about 0.6 inches, the length being variable depending on the mass of the ingredients being selected. While this size and shape is preferred, other sizes and shapes may be preferred for particular applications and are considered within the scope of the present invention.

The packaging can simply be a molded form (possibly multiple vacuum form) such as those that contain other pills that are used for child protection. A vacuum for that has multiple containers for pills can be provided. One such system would be a product such as Benadryl caplets that have a blister mold and an aluminum foil sealed beneath. In this case, the extra child protection paper would not be needed. Other types of packaging that have a hard shell on most sides and a section which the capsule can be pushed through would be used in combination with this instantly dissolvable pill in order to keep out humidity and protect the pill from rupture.

Referring to FIG. 4, the pill 50 has an instantly dissolvable membrane 51 and contents 52. The membrane 51 can be a sheet of any of the previously described materials that is rolled around the contents 52. The ends 54 and 56 of the membrane 51 can be closed by mechanical or heat treatment. For example, the ends 54 and 56 can be crimped. The ends 54 and 56 can also be heat sealed. Similarly, the line 58 can be closed by mechanical or heat treatment.

While there have been shown, described and pointed out fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the device illustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is the intention, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the claims appended hereto. 

1. A package of pills, comprising: a package having one or more breakable chambers; one or more pills in each of the one or more chambers, each of the pills having a membrane that dissolves instantly in water; and each of the chambers having a covering on a top portion of the package that protects the one or more pills.
 2. The package as claimed in claim 1, further comprising breakable seal on a bottom portion of the package underneath each of the one or more chambers.
 3. The package as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the one or more pills in each of the chambers contains a powder, a crystal or a microencapsulated material.
 4. The package as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the one or more pills in each of the chambers is non-compressed.
 5. The package as claimed in claim 3, wherein each of the one or more pills in each of the chambers is non-compressed.
 6. The package as claimed in claim 1, wherein the membrane of each of the one or more pills in each of the chambers is soy-based.
 7. The package as claimed in claim 1, wherein the membrane of each of the one or more pills is selected from the group including PEG and polyvinyl alcohol.
 8. The package as claimed in claim 1, wherein a user breaks the breakable seal of one of the container areas on the bottom portion of the package to obtain a pill.
 9. The package as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the chambers is sealed to prevent the entry of moisture into the chamber.
 10. The package as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a protective seal covering each of the breakable seals.
 11. The package as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a weakened area in each of the breakable seals.
 12. The package as claimed in claim 1, wherein the covering for each of the chambers withstands up to 20 pounds of pressure without collapsing.
 13. The package as claimed in claim 1, wherein the covering for each of the chambers withstands up to 10 pounds of pressure without collapsing.
 14. The package as claimed in claim 1, wherein the covering for each of the chambers withstands up to 5 pounds of pressure without collapsing.
 15. A pill comprising a membrane instantly dissolvable in water, the membrane surrounding a material that is a powder, a crystal or a microencapsulated material.
 16. The pill as claimed in claim 15, wherein the membrane is soy based.
 17. The pill as claimed in claim 15, wherein the membrane is selected from the group including PEG and polyvinyl alcohol.
 18. The pill as claimed in claim 15, wherein the pill has two ends, each of the ends being mechanically sealed.
 19. The pill as claimed in claim 15, wherein the material is a pharmaceutical.
 20. The pill as claimed in claim 15, wherein the material is a flavoring.
 21. The pill as claimed in claim 15 wherein the material is a nutrient. 